How does the S stack up vs the competition?
The S class is the flagship of Mercedes Benz.
The Maybach is not a series production vehicle and, IMHO, is not the flagship of MB, but rather, Maybach.
It's the same with the Audi A8 and the Horsch brand.
Look, we're all lucky to own the cars we do, and I don't think anything productive comes from arguing about whether or not the W222 is the best that money can buy for Daimler AG, because it's not. It's a damn fine vehicle but the Maybach trumps it. Why? Because Maybach competes in a different category.
Personally my next car is the Bentley Flying Spur. I'm never going to claim it's in the same league as the A8, because it's not.
Anybody making a blanket statement that one brand is better than the other based on this just simply does not have enough experience tuning any of these car brands. Generally speaking it's far easier to mod a BMW/Audi as there is a bigger market for it, but yeah, no matter how one looks at it, we're all modding a quality product.
The S class is the flagship of Mercedes Benz.
The Maybach is not a series production vehicle and, IMHO, is not the flagship of MB, but rather, Maybach.
It's the same with the Audi A8 and the Horsch brand.
Look, we're all lucky to own the cars we do, and I don't think anything productive comes from arguing about whether or not the W222 is the best that money can buy for Daimler AG, because it's not. It's a damn fine vehicle but the Maybach trumps it. Why? Because Maybach competes in a different category.
Personally my next car is the Bentley Flying Spur. I'm never going to claim it's in the same league as the A8, because it's not.
Can you explain what you mean by “the Maybach is not a series production vehicle”?








Different brand, it should be said.
Maybach is based on S-Class but is more refined and more luxurious and rightly so, folks are paying a premium for this.
Sort of like comparing a Camry to Lexus ES350, technically the same car but the latter is on a different level luxury wise.
Different brand, it should be said.
Maybach is based on S-Class but is more refined and more luxurious and rightly so, folks are paying a premium for this.
Sort of like comparing a Camry to Lexus ES350, technically the same car but the latter is on a different level luxury wise.
The Best of Mercedes & AMG




The car is easier to park than my tiny AMG GTC. For some reason the gt only has a rear camera where the Maybach has at least four and the 360 park view so its REALLY easy to park (gt does not have this). Plus you can push the button to raise the car by about an inch to protect the front end when parking.
So why would I be happy with a S450. Well I like all the bells and whistles but after 70000 miles in the Maybach I can now look back and say the ONLY really important things to me are the Burmester 3d, magic body control, and distronic. Everything else is nice and that leather headliner is really cool, nightview is neat, massage seats are great but I dont need it. If I want a car that goes fast I get into the gt so I dont really need the v12 and I hear the v6 in the 450 does well when it comes to power.
I hope I answered your questions. I am just trying to be very objective and point out the most important things I find in the S class and I have driven a S550 and thought it felt just like the Maybach, my Husband on the other hand said it was somewhat different so I guess everyone is different.
PS I just asked my Hubby what options he would have to have on a S450 and he surprisingly said the same thing, Burmeister 3d, Magic Body Control, and Distronic.




That is one reason why I have said if I had to pick one car I would look for a S63 or S65 and be happy. I mean you get a S class that rides nice and also can go racing any day of the week, although that has not stopped me from taking the Maybach out on the F1 race track.........
Running about 90MPH at rite before braking.
Last edited by Katie22; Feb 9, 2020 at 01:56 PM.
Maybe I should consider a Maybach. I always thought the W222 lines worked better on the longer wheelbase. Mine would look like this:








S450 makes the S560 a total overkill, too much power with rarely any opportunity to take advantage of it.
......says a guy who went for S63 and then spend additional $30k to bring it to 850hp
I’m a very sensible guy....




S450 makes the S560 a total overkill, too much power with rarely any opportunity to take advantage of it.
......says a guy who went for S63 and then spend additional $30k to bring it to 850hp
I’m a very sensible guy....




I have Pirelli Sottozeros RFT, same profile as performance tires in Summer (30 and 35), very stiff and heavier then normal tires.
Tried to alviate that problem with lighter rims, I use Vossen ultra light wheels that weigh only 2/3 of the Black ones the car came with.




Its amayzing how comfy they can make performance cars these days.
The Maybach I drove last week at Vance was the GLS600... now that was awesome..
The Maybach I drove last week at Vance was the GLS600... now that was awesome..

That is one reason why I have said if I had to pick one car I would look for a S63 or S65 and be happy. I mean you get a S class that rides nice and also can go racing any day of the week, although that has not stopped me from taking the Maybach out on the F1 race track.........
Running about 90MPH at rite before braking.




We will drive from Orlando to Tennessee with the GTC regularly and never feel worn out at the end of the ride. MY girl but gets a bit sore in the seat bottom because it squeezes me but its supposed to like a racing seat does. Hubby does not have this problem. We drove it from Colorado to Florida the long way through Utah and loved the ride, didnt get tired!
The GTC comes with adjustable dampers where the GTS it was an option if I recall. I drove a regular GT and it was slightly more rough with the non adjustable dampers. So a recap the GTC is going to ride better than a GT or GTS unless they have the adjustable dampers and in that case they likely ride virtually the same.........
Rough roads it still rides nice. Dont get me wrong you live in Michigan Pot hole state its going to bounce you a bit. I will say that I had Loners a GLA, C, and E class.
1. GLA= rough riding, noisy, terrible engine transmission interface, turbo lag yuck (I hear the 2020 car is improved overall), better off buying a Honda Accord! Makes GTC feel like an S Class ride quality.
2. C class= Nice car but again makes me think an Accord is a better buy. GTC RIDES NICER to me but one could argue.
3. E class= Quiet, composed, hides the 4cylinder engine good, and rides a lot like an S class. The GTC is NOT as smooth a ride as the E class with base suspension and air body option would be even better I assume.
Last edited by Katie22; Feb 11, 2020 at 03:31 PM.





